Cor Unum
by NerdyBookLover
Summary: A disease sweeps through Japan and wipes out entire villages. The affects of this disease being that you change into something inhuman. When Naruto gets sent to Japan from America and meets a vengeful Sasuke, how will things turn out. Warning: Yaoi!
1. Prologue

**A new story from me! Though I doubt anyone will really care. I updated two of my other stories today, which is awesome because I never do that sort of thing. Anyways, this is the prologue, because I feel like waiting to see if anyone likes this before I go through with my little idea. Sorry if it sounds just like another fanfic you've read, I'm not going for that. I'm trying to be original here, but it's kinda hard considering how many Naruto stories there are. The main pairing here is SasuNaru. The title is Latin and means 'one heart.'**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but if I did I'd make him do naughty things to Sasuke.**

JAPAN, 1871

They were sick. All of them. The entire village had the disease, and there was no cure. Once you were infected, there was no way out. You would turn into one of _them_. _They _weren't even human anymore. Their bones became warped, changing the entire shape of their body. Their backs were hunched, their jaws elongated, and their teeth sharpened. Their skin was stretched wide over their body. And they became bloodthirsty. Their need for human flesh overwhelmed them. That was all they could think about. They would eat their own family if they got in the way. The people in the early stages of the disease always complained of the noise. It could be dead quiet, but still they screamed, "Make it stop! It's too loud!" And they all said they felt like they were burning. They felt as if they had been set on fire.

The authorities of the next village over decided that the best thing to do was burn the village down. It was the best thing they could think of to stop the disease from spreading. So soldiers were sent out with torches; they gathered around the infected village in a circle, preparing for what they were about to do. They had been told that everyone in the village was infected and dangerous; that they should not feel guilt over this. So when they threw the torches on the houses and streets and watched silently as it burned, that was it.

***********

A seven year old boy was sitting in his dining room. His name was Sasuke Uchiha. His older brother had left him, but not before he made his special dessert, skittles pie. **(A/N: I know, what you're all thinking. Skittles pie? Well, I was writing this during lunch at school and one of my friends said skittles, then he said pie, and then we both said skittles pie at the same time, so I just left it in there.) **A little bit unorthodox, but acceptable at the moment.

"I wonder were nii-san went." The little boy said to himself He got up and wandered around his house a little, remembering how his parents had liked to sit and play Shogi in the springtime. It had been a long and cold winter in the village, and the boy's nii-san, Itachi had been working very hard, training. He was going to be a soldier in the imperial army. Their father had had such high expectations. He made Itachi practice with the katana that had been passed down in their family for generations. Itachi worked hard and never complained, but Sasuke noticed something was wrong with his nii-san. The older boy seemed to isolate himself even more.

Their father started checking up on Sasuke more, asking about his studies and every once in a while, hinting that he might- just might- want Sasuke to start using the katana early. Older than his brother had been when he started, but still very young. Sasuke was ecstatic at his father's praise. He tried as hard as he could to get to his brother's level, but nothing seemed to work. And when his parents were killed, it didn't seem to matter as much to him. He still trained every day, just like Itachi, but his heart wasn't in it like before. He had nothing to gain anymore from it.

***********

AMERICA, 1871

A blonde boy sat quietly on a park swing, his normally bright blue eyes dim with sadness. His name was Naruto Uzumaki. He had never had a family, had always been alone. No one cared about him, except for one of his teachers, Iruka-sensei. Iruka was teaching Naruto how to speak Japanese at after school lessons. Afterwards he would usually take the smiling blonde boy to get some ramen. But today, Iruka was home sick, and Naruto had no one to talk to. Anyone who passed by his little swing would either glare or ignore him completely. But he was used to it. That was just the way people treated him, for reasons unknown to him. Even though he was only seven years old, he had learned to live with it.

Naruto watched as a few other children started playing nearby. No one even looked his way the whole time. No one asked him if he wanted to play. He wished more than anything that someone would. He sighed and got off of the swing, starting the trek back to the apartment he lived in alone. It was small, but then again, so was he. He wiped away at the tears that were starting to fall. He was strong, he could handle it. That was what he always tried telling himself. But with no actual proof to back that up, he had stopped listening to himself.

**Sorry this is so short, but I've been typing all day, and my fingers hurt. And sorry about the majorly depressed Naru-chan. He'll be less sad after he meets Sasuke, which will be soon. Please review!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Thank you all for waiting so patiently. Sorry I haven't written in forever…again. I was in Vegas for a week, then I had another week when I totally could have written, but I didn't because I'm an idiot, and then school started back up, and I haven't had time lately. So, here is the first chapter of Cor Unum. I hope you like.**

JAPAN, 1880

Nine years had passed. Sasuke hadn't seen or heard from his brother since that one day nine years ago. That day, Itachi had left him for dead, waiting for these dark creatures to take him. Sasuke had just barely survived.

His village had been the first to be burned. The people who had once been his family were now monsters, though most had died in the fire. When word reached the emperor that the disease was still spreading, he ordered everyone in close contact with the infected to be killed. Whether they themselves were infected or not was a minor detail. Because of this, Sasuke was on the run.

He was sixteen now, and he took care of himself. His entire family had been wiped out by the disease, and his brother…his brother was going to pay. Sasuke didn't have solid proof, but he was certain that his brother had created the disease somehow. Now his only reason for living was so that he could one day kill Itachi. If he died immediately after… well he didn't care. What reason would he have to keep going once he accomplished his purpose in life anyway? And he was confident enough in himself to believe that he would be able to do it. His strength and his rage would help him reach his goal. All he had to do now was find his once beloved nii-san.

AMERICA, 1880

They're sending me away. They're going to throw me on a ship and send me to Japan. Iruka-sensei can't save me. And really, I should have seen this coming. I mean, I finally figured it out; why they hate me so much. They're afraid. There is something inside of me that could so easily get out if I lost control. So maybe it's for the best.

Iruka-sensei has told me so many wonderful things about Japan. Maybe I'll make some friends for once. They aren't going to know about the Kyuubi. That's what it's called, apparently. The thing inside of me. If it were to get out, it would take on the form of a fox. A great, big, red fox. And it would destroy anything and everything that got in its way. So I need to be really carefull. And maybe, if someone were to see the seal on my stomach, they would think it was just a tattoo. And the scars on my cheeks…well, those are just scars. No need to cover them up. According to Iruka-sensei, the thing people will notice the most about me is my bright blonde hair and big blue eyes. So maybe I'll be okay after all. Yeah, I bet everything will be just fine. No one will hurt me, or insult me, or ignore me. No, because I am Naruto Uzumaki. Everything will be fine. It's just…

I'm scared. No one has ever accepted me in my entire life. Aside from Iruka-sensei, of course. He's been almost a father to me these past years. I'll miss him a lot. I wish he could come with me, but he has a life here. His job, his friends. I could never ask him to leave all that behind. He's done so much for me already. But still… I'm going to be really lonely without him. But I'm sixteen now! I'll take care of myself. Japan is going to be great.

**********

"Naruto, I have good news!"

"What is it, Iruka-sensei?"

"I'm going to come with you to Japan. And I don't want you to feel bad or anything because I really want to go." Naruto just stood there for a moment, mouth hanging open.

"R-really? You want to come with me?" Iruka laughed.

"Silly. Of course I do. I didn't take care of you all that time to just let you walk out of my life. I think of you as my son, Naruto." The blonde ran into the others waiting arms, trying unsuccessfully to hold back his tears. He was just so happy.

"Thank you, sensei." He whispered into Iruka's chest.

"Don't worry, Naruto. Everything's going to be fine. I'll take care of you."

"Thank you, sensei." The boy repeated. It felt good to be loved.

JAPAN, same year

It's impossible. I can't find him anywhere. Honestly, where the hell could he have gone? It's been almost a month, and still no sign. It's like he just disappeared. No matter who I ask, no one can ever give me any information. I've heard other things, though- things of no importance. What I really need to hear, is where I can find my brother. There is one man that I can rely on for information, but even he hasn't heard anything. Maybe I should go and visit him today. He might have heard something in the past week since I last saw him.

**********

He's late. Of course he is, why would I ever think he might actually be on time to meet me? That annoying pervert can't ever put down that damn book of his. And when he gets here, he's going to have some stupid excuse about how he was helping a snail cross the street safely. Ah, here he comes. Let's hear it.

"Ah, Sasuke. Sorry I'm late. I was on my way over here, but all of a sudden I was viciously attacked by a flying squirrel with teeth the size of—"

"Hn. Don't bother with the lies, Kakashi. Just tell me if you have any information for me." I watch as he scratches the back of his head sheepishly.

"Uh, sorry, Sasuke. I got nothing. How 'bout I buy you lunch to make up for it?" I inwardly sigh. I won't be able to just get out of this one.

"Hn." I'll just have to be rude enough so that he never makes the mistake of asking me ever again.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'." He says cheerily. It's a shame that I'm going to have to break his spirit. I start heading to the only place where I can eat without being ratted out to the imperial police. It's small, about the size of a house. I only usually go there when I can scrape enough money together. The people inside aren't exactly what you would call friendly, but they aren't outright hostile either… unless you provoke them. Around here, if you aren't carefull, you'll be killed.

"What can I get you?" A girl around my age asks us when we sit down. She has pink hair and emerald eyes. And she's staring directly at me, barely noticing Kakashi. Her smile is friendly and she seems nice enough, but I really don't have the time.

"I'll have anything, so long as there's tomatoes." I said, hoping the girl would at some point stop staring. It was beginning to make me uncomfortable.

"Yes, and I'll have some sanma no shioyaki.**(1)**" The pinkette smiled at me.

"I'll be out with that in just a minute." I turn to look at Kakashi as she's leaving. I know he has something to say to me, but apparently he's planning on taking his time. But that isn't something I'm willing to waste.

"What is it you need to talk to me about?"

"You figured it out? I guess I should have expected that." He paused for a moment, seeming to think something over. "It's not really that important. It's just that an old friend of mine is going to be coming here soon. He's bringing a kid with him the same age as you. Maybe you could be friends?" He asks hopefully. This is where the spirit-crushing starts, I guess.

"No." I state flatly. He flinches a little.

"I was kind of hoping you would answer with your usual 'hn'. Then I could at least take it as a 'yes'."

"Sorry to disappoint. But you know that I can't allow myself to have any distractions while I'm looking for my brother."

"But surely you get a little lonely every once in a while. You could use someone to at least talk to. And according to Iruka, the kid he's bringing with him could really use a friend."

"I don't care what this kid needs. I need to find Itachi. Nothing else matters." Kakashi sighs and shakes his head. I hate it when adults do that. The way they can make you feel like a little kid, and all it takes is an exhaled breath. Though I've only ever really gotten that from Kakashi and my father when he was still alive.

"Can you at least try? At least meet the kid, and then judge whether or not you could be his friend?"

"Why do you care so much anyway? Do you even know this kid?" Kakashi looks off to the side, successfully shielding his face from my curious gaze.

"I've never met him, but he is important to Iruka, so I want to make sure he feels comfortable here." I snort.

"It's impossible to be comfortable here. Where are they from anyway?"

"Iruka was originally from here, but moved away about twenty years ago to America. He got a job teaching at a school and met Naruto nine years ago. He's basically taken care of him ever since."

"Where were this Naruto's parents during all this time?" Kakashi sighs again.

"Apparently they died soon after he was born. He had been living alone until Iruka took him in."

"He lived alone from basically when he was born until he was seven? No one took care of him before that?"

"Not really. From what Iruka told me, Naruto has basically raised himself. You can't help but feel bad for the kid. Which is why I think you should be his friend. He needs it. And so do you, even though you'd never admit it." The pink haired girl is walking back to our table with our food, that annoying smile plastered on her face.

"Here you go. Is there anything else I can get you?" She asks sweetly.

"No." I say rudely, hoping it might get her to leave. It doesn't.

"Are you absolutely sure? 'Cuz if there is anything you need I can—"

"You know, actually there is something I need." I interrupt her.

"Oh, really? What would that be?"

"I need you to leave. Right now. And don't come back." The girl's smile falters a little, but to her credit, she doesn't let her sadness show through too much. She just quietly walks away. Kakashi sighs. Again. He seems to do a lot of that around me.

"Did you have to do that?"

"Yes."

"Whatever. Iruka and Naruto are supposed to show up next week. They'll be staying with me for a while, so why don't you come by to introduce yourself?"

"Hn."

JAPAN, one week later

I don't know why I'm even bothering to come meet these people. It's not like I need friends. I've been perfectly fine on my own all this time. But if it'll get Kakashi to leave me alone, then I guess I'll do it. We're supposed to meet at the place we ate at last week. I look up at the sky and notice that it's getting dark even though it's only around lunch time. It's colder outside, too. Winter's coming. I used to love the winter. Itachi and I would run around in the snow, throwing snowballs until we couldn't feel our fingers, at which point we would go inside, where mom had hot tea waiting for us. Father would come home a few hours later and we would all eat dinner together.

But now I the hate winter.

My first winter alone was the worst of my life. I almost died. Not only did I have to worry about the monsters lurking around every corner, but there were also the emperor's men that were sent to patrol everywhere. Nowhere was safe, and I was completely on my own. That, plus the fact that I didn't really have a place to live. I didn't have a roof over my head most of the time, and when I did, it was only for short, dangerous periods of time. You can never trust anyone.

Then I ran into Kakashi. I had met him through my cousin Obito once when I was younger. He recognized me almost immediately, because most Uchiha's look alike. He helped me out, and he still does when I need him to. I'm grateful to him for that, and I want to make it up to him somehow. But the one thing he has asked me to do is the one thing I have sworn to never do.

Give up on chasing Itachi.

He wants me to forget about revenge and just let it go. But I can't. Not after what he's done.

"Oi, Sasuke! Over here." I hadn't even realized I had arrived until he yelled out to me. I follow the sound of his voice and see him sitting not too far away. There are two others with him.

One is a man about his age, with brown hair, tan skin, and a scar running over his nose. That must be Iruka.

The other is a boy my age, slightly smaller, but not by much. His hair is blonde, and his eyes are a beautiful shade of blue I've never seen before. The lights in this place have never been very bright, but for some reason it seems as if this boy is almost absorbing the light. He is the focal point of the room. Yet his eyes are dull, and his hair-bright as it is- looks like it could be brighter. He's wearing orange and black, colors that you wouldn't think would fit him, but apparently they do. This has to be Naruto.

I walk up to them and end up sitting next to Kakashi and across from Naruto, who is already eating what looks like his fourth bowl of ramen. He briefly looks up at me to acknowledge my presence, but then immediately goes back to eating.

"Iruka, Naruto, this is Sasuke. Sasuke, that's Iruka and the one eating is Naruto."

"Hn." Is all I bother to say. I inwardly groan when I see that the pink haired girl is working again today. She's talking to a blonde girl, and they both keep glancing over at me and giggling. Honestly, does she not remember what happened the last time I was here. I practically made her cry.

"So, Sasuke, Kakashi says that you've lived here all your life." I look over at Iruka, who looks slightly uncomfortable, and is desperately trying to make conversation.

"Hn." The walk over here put me in a bad mood, so I'm not going to make this easy for him, even if he is a friend of Kakashi's. Kakashi seems to realize this and glares at me. I ignore him, choosing instead to watch Naruto as he eats. But Iruka isn't going to give up.

"So what kinds of things do you like and dislike? What dreams do you have for the future?" I smirk slightly. Poor guy doesn't know what he got himself into.

"I hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan, and kill a certain someone.**(2)**" Iruka looks slightly taken aback, and now Naruto has stopped eating and is looking at me strangely. Kakashi just shakes his head, as per usual.

"Sasuke, do you have to be like this to everyone you meet?" I don't even look at him, or anyone else at the table.

"Yes." Kakashi looks back at the other two.

"Please ignore him. He's like this to everyone."

"Who do you want to kill?" Naruto asks, not caring if it was rude or not. Actually, I kind of liked his straightforwardness. He was able to get right to the point. I smirk at him, wondering what his reaction will be.

"My older brother." I hear Iruka gasp lightly. But Naruto just stares at me. It feels as if he is looking right through me.

"He must have done something terrible to you to make you want to kill him." I frown, not liking how he seems to figure me out so easily.

"What makes you think that? Maybe I just want to kill him for fun." But Naruto shakes his head, almost sadly.

"No. I don't think that's it. I get the feeling that you're actually a good person underneath that mask you've put up." My frown deepens.

"I don't know what you're talking about…dobe." He frowns at the name, but doesn't back down.

"Oh, but I think you do…teme." I glare at him, and I'm about to say something else when the pinkette walks over to the table, her blonde friend glaring daggers into her back. She looks at me.

"Hello again. Is there anything I can get you?" I glare at her, not liking the interruption one bit.

"No." But obviously this girl is a complete idiot, because she keeps talking, completely ignoring the glare. I turn the intensity up a little until it is a full-blown Uchiha glare. She flinches unconsciously, as she is still oblivious to it for some reason, as she tells me that her name is Sakura Haruno and that winter is her favorite season because of the snow. That's when I snap…in a way.

"Look, I don't care. Leave me alone." Then she _finally_ notices the look on my face and takes a step back, most likely fearing for her safety. I really don't blame her, because at this moment, I honestly want to hurt her. But I hold myself back. I reign in my emotions and calm back down. That's when I notice that Naruto has been studying me this whole time. He doesn't look away when I look at him. In fact he stares even harder, as if he's trying to find something that he knows is right in front of him, but he just can't see it. I barely notice when the girl leaves.

"I don't know." He says mostly to himself.

"What don't you know?" I ask.

"What happened to you. I can't read you as well as I'd like to." I hear Kakashi chuckle, and look over at him. He's looking back and forth between the two of us, amusement clearly written on his face.

"Don't worry, Naruto. You are probably the only one who's ever been able to read him that well. Especially since you just met him. I've known him for years, and I only know a little bit more than what you've managed to figure out." I glare at him. He didn't _have_ to mention that part. But, whatever. I don't care. Naruto can try and figure me out as much as he wants. I'm never going to let him get to know me though. No one will ever get to know me. It's better that way. Then I won't miss anyone if they end up getting killed, and no one will miss me when I die. That's the way it should be.

**(1): salt-broiled saury, one of Kakashi's favorite foods.**

**(2): That's what Sasuke said when Team 7 was first formed and Kakashi was asking them about themselves. **

**I hope you liked it. Please review.**


	3. Chapter 2

**I'm back! Sorry it took so long. I should probably be updating A New Member or Vampires VS Akatsuki, but I'm able to get more into this story for some reason. Parts of this story are probably going to sound a lot like journal entries, just so you know… **

About a week later***Naruto's POV***

There's something about this guy. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the way he's constantly hiding away his emotions, or maybe it's the fact that he knows just how to get under my skin. But for some reason, I kinda like him. _I_ feel the need to get under _his_ skin, to get under that mask of his. That's really the only way to get him to open up. You need to piss him off. Or surprise him, which is really freaking hard to do.

"Oi, dobe. You're in my way." Ah, that annoying nickname. He seems to like calling me that for some reason.

"Shut up, teme! If I'm in your way, why don't you just walk around me?"

"Because that would be a waste of my energy. Just move, usuratonkachi." Oh, yes, there's that name too.

"Fine…" I step to my right, but unfortunately I failed to notice the rock there and I tripped and started to fall. I do this thing when I fall where I just sort of let it happen. I never really bother trying to stop myself from hitting the ground. Even when I know it's going to hurt. A lot.

But then a funny thing happens. As I'm falling, the teme reaches out for me.

Why is this funny, you ask?

Because as he's reaching for me he loses his balance and ends up falling on top of me. Now, I'm not gonna lie, it fucking hurt when that happened. But it was sort of hard to notice the pain when Sasuke's lips crashed into my own. Completely accidental, of course. But still.

It felt… well, _good _probably isn't the right word. More like…natural. Yeah, it felt natural. I closed my eyes slowly. His lips were kind of soft, like you'd expect a girl's to be. I figured he would pull back right away, but we kind of just stayed like that for a minute. Not that I really minded. When he finally _did_ move away I opened my eyes and saw what very well might have been a blush on his snow white features, but he looked away quickly before I could see. He got up off of me and I thought he was just going to walk away, but he held his hand out to help me up. I took it gratefully and we stood there awkwardly. He cleared his throat.

"Sorry… about that. It was an accident."

"I know. We can just forget about it if you want." I had sort of been looking down at my feet, not sure if I wanted to hear his answer. But when he didn't say anything I looked up. He was just watching me. I couldn't really read his expression, though. It wasn't quite disappointment, but it wasn't really anything else either. I just sort of watched him watch me for a minute before he finally decided to answer.

"Yeah, let's just… forget it ever happened." I almost let myself be disappointed. But then I remembered all of the times people had pushed me around and said hateful things to me back in America. I shouldn't have expected anything more than that from Sasuke or anyone else, for that matter. He has been nicer to me than most people, even with the name calling and rude comments. When he does it, it isn't because he hates me it's because he doesn't know how to act around people. But I shouldn't have expected anything more than a simple friendship from him. And if it hadn't been for the kiss, I wouldn't have even thought passed any of that…

When I didn't say anything else he started walking away. I wasn't sure if I should follow and just act like nothing had happened or just leave him alone. I stood there for a while, even after he'd disappeared into the thick forest surrounding the place where we first met.

***Sasuke's POV***

I can't believe that happened. I actually kissed the dobe. It was his fault, though. He should have looked where he was going. Then I wouldn't have had to try and stop him from falling. Cht. Stupid, pretty, blonde—wait... Pretty? I mean, I guess he does look nice. But I don't care about that. I have to find Itachi. I'm going to kill that bastard for what he did…

…Stupid Naruto. Now I can't even focus.

There's something about him that just annoys me. I have no idea _why_, but for some reason, when he's sitting there, looking all sad and whatnot it just pisses me off.

But I sort of get it. His parents are dead. He basically raised himself and all he has is Iruka.

And actually… I don't even know why they came here. Why couldn't they stay in America? And why did they have to come _here_, to Japan? Where monsters lurk around every corner? It's not safe here.

Wait—I never told Naruto about those creatures. What if he runs into them? He wouldn't know what to do. Shit. I should go back. I should have never left him alone. Dammit.

**Sorry for the majorly short chapter, but it's the best I can do now. I have a lot of crap going on with school, so I'm not sure when I'm gonna be able to update next. **


	4. Chapter 3

**I'm back! I also updated Vampires Vs Akatsuki today as well. I'm not gonna do A New Member today, but I'll try to soon. Thank you to everyone who has waited patiently and thank you to any new readers that I gain. I love you all! (not in that awkward way) This chapter has a bit of jumping around. It starts with Itachi in America before Naruto leaves for Japan, and then it goes back to Naruto after the kiss. And a lot of Sasuke's past is revealed.**

AMERICA, 1880 (before Naruto leaves for Japan)

***Itachi's POV***

_So they're sending little Naruto off to Japan, huh. I guess it's time to go home. _

I have spent months waiting for the perfect opportunity to capture the blonde boy, but something always stops me. This time, it's him being shipped to my home country. Joining Akatsuki was the easiest thing to do after my parents' death, but now it seems a bit redundant. I guess there's nothing I can do about that now, though. And it's not as if I can just go home and expect to be welcomed with open arms. Sasuke hates me, and with good reason. I'm the reason our clan is dead.

But really… all I did was make them _look_ like the monsters that they already were on the inside.

Not that that would change anything for my foolish little brother. He will hate me until the day that I die; most likely by his hand. And I deserve his hate. I'm willing to take it all, so long as it keeps him alive.

_My precious otouto._

JAPAN, 1880 (present time)

***Naruto's POV***

Sigh. Sasuke probably detests me now. I hope he isn't angry. Everyone else would always get angry whenever I did anything. And even though I feel like he's different, I can't be sure. I can't read him very well. Kakashi says that I've figured out more than anyone else, including himself, but that's not enough. I need to be able to predict his movements, his rare showing of emotion, his… well, everything.

I hear a rustling in the bushes behind me, in the opposite direction that Sasuke had gone. I turn quickly, immediately sensing danger. But nothing happens. Everything gets quiet again, but I can tell that whatever it is, it's still there.

I'm so focused on the bush that I don't hear anything else. I jump and let out a squeak when a hand rests on my shoulder. I exhale the breath I didn't know I had been holding when I realize that it's just Sasuke. As I turn to look at him, I feel, rather than hear the unknown entity leave. I sigh in relief and let my shoulders relax, feeling Sasuke's curious eyes on me.

"Are you alright, Naruto?" He asks, and he seems genuinely worried about me. My eyes widen slightly and I blush slightly under the intensity of his gaze.

"Um… yeah. I'm fine. But…" I don't know if I should tell him about what happened. What if he doesn't believe me. Or worse, says that it was all a figment of my imagination. I see his eyes narrow slightly.

"But what? Tell me what happened." He demands. His grip on my shoulder tightens until it almost hurts.

I look down at my feet for a moment, biting my lip. Then I glance back at the bush, then at Sasuke. "Well… I felt something. Over behind that bush. It left when you showed up, but I _know_ there was something there."

He nods and his hand moves from my shoulder to my cheek, stroking it lightly and pushing some hair out of my eyes. "I believe you." He whispers, a small, almost sad smile gracing his features. It's the first time I've ever really seen anything other than anger or annoyance from him. And it's breathtaking.

After a moment he seems to realize what he's doing and clears his throat, removing his hand from me completely, much to my disappointment. He stays standing directly in front of me though, close enough so that I could just tilt my head up and…

Stop it, Naruto. Focus.

He clears his throat again. "Actually, I need to tell you something."

At that moment my stomach decides to speak up, growling loudly. I look down at it and laugh sheepishly. "Could you tell me about it over lunch? I'm a bit hungry." He nods and grabs my wrist, dragging me behind him to the little restaurant we had been standing by. When we are inside, he leads me to the first open seats he sees. It's surprisingly crowded today.

I look over at the front and see that the pink haired girl is working, along with the blonde that had been with her before. They are both staring at Sasuke, giggling with each other, and for some reason this bothers me. I glare at them for a moment before turning back to Sasuke who is just watching me. My eyes widen and I fidget in my seat, not used to the attention. Sasuke seems to realize this and looks away silently. I look down at the table until I feel someone come to the table.

The pink haired one. Wonderful. I can tell that Sasuke's thinking basically the same thing as he glares at her and I smile brightly. When she asks what we would like to order, she looks only at Sasuke. Just like she always seems to do. He orders something with tomatoes and I ask politely for miso ramen. The girl -Sakura, as she just mentioned, though I vaguely remember her saying that last time as well- smiles at Sasuke and walks back to her blonde friend looking smug.

"So, Naruto—"

"Wait, quick question. Are tomatoes your favorite food? 'Cuz that seems to be the only thing you ever eat."

He raises an eyebrow slowly. "Yes. But that's irrelevant."

I shake my head. "No it isn't. I want to get to know you better. So it is very important actually."

He gives me a strange look before averting his eyes. "Anyway… as I was saying, I need to tell you something. I'm not sure if it's what was back there or not, but you need to know about these things- for your own safety.—"

Unfortunately, it's at this moment that Sakura chooses to come by with our food. As she's setting down a glass of water, she pretends to "accidently" spill it all over Sasuke. He seems completely unfazed by it, but when she grabs a towel and goes to help him dry his crotchial region **(A/N: Bonus points for anyone who knows what movie that phrase comes from)**, he slaps her hand away and send her a hate-filled glare.

But apparently this girl is stupid because she doesn't get the hint that she should just leave. Instead she starts apologizing, as if it hadn't been totally on purpose. That's when I decide enough is enough.

I clear my throat loudly, getting her attention for the first time since the day I met Sasuke. "Hello. Thanks for noticing little old me over here. Anyway, I don't know if there's something seriously wrong with you or if you're just stupid, but I think he wants you to leave him alone. So maybe instead of being the idiot that I'm sure you are and staying over here, you could do the sensible thing and walk away. Before he –or myself- decides to seriously hurt you. Thanks."

After I finish my rant I look over and see Sasuke staring at me, surprise clearly written on his face. Sakura looks stunned as well and angry, but surprisingly enough she does as I said and walks away. I watch as she leaves, glaring at her the whole way, until I hear laughing. I turn and to _my_ surprise, I see Sasuke sitting there, his shoulders shaking and a hand slightly covering his mouth, but still allowing me to see his smile. And it has got to be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. His ebony eyes are soft and filled with mirth.

I start to laugh with him, but not the usual forced laugh that I save for meeting new people. This is real and it feels good to laugh like this for once. Eventually it dies down and I know that I'll miss it. He lowers his hand and reaches for a napkin to dry himself off a bit, smile still in place.

"Heh. Thanks for that. I was worried she'd never leave me alone."

I smile warmly at him, "No problem. She was starting to annoy me, too."

I watch as he fidgets slightly before saying, "And… thank you. For… I don't know, just being who you are, I guess. I haven't laughed like that in… well, a long time."

"Same here."

"And it's nice to see you… without _your_ mask up." He says quietly, becoming serious. My eyes widen considerably, shocked that he would ever notice something like that.

I look away and say softly, "I'm surprised you noticed. No one else ever does. Not even Iruka."

"I think it has to do with the fact that I see a lot of my own pain in you as well. I'm drawn to you."

I cough lightly and look away, feeling the blush staining my cheeks. "So… what was it you needed to tell me?" I ask as I start to eat my ramen that was quickly cooling. He stiffens as if he just remembered something important and then glares at nothing in particular.

After a few subtle deep breaths he says, "Monsters."

I almost choke on my food when I hear that. I sit up straight and look him in the eye. He seems deadly serious. "Monsters?" I ask, cautiously.

He nods. "Nine years ago a disease spread throughout Japan. It infected thousands of people and many have been killed because of orders from the emperor, but some are still out there. Have you noticed how a lot of the people around here are a bit… shifty?"

I nod, looking around at the people eating, noticing how many of them are doing the same thing as me, but for different reasons. This place reeks of trepidation and fear.

"That's because these people know what happens to those that are infected. It's not an airborne disease, it travels through the blood. In other words, you'll only be infected if you're bitten or scratched by someone who is infected. And unfortunately, that happens often. This illness… it does something to you. You become this warped creature and all you care about is survival. And the only way that they've found to survive… is to eat the only healthy people left."

"Why doesn't anyone outside of Japan know about this? Isn't it dangerous to allow people in and especially out of the country?"

"It's extremely dangerous. But the emperor is stubborn and couldn't bear it if anyone thought of Japan as anything less than perfect. He's even trying to cover it up. He burned down all of the infected villages and has ordered that anyone related to the infected be killed as well, even if they aren't infected. Which is why I generally try not to draw attention to myself. I don't usually stay in one place for too long either."

"You're related to someone that was infected?"

"My brother's best friend was the first to be infected. He was the first known case of it. That was back when no one knew what it did to you. By the time anyone figured it out, almost everyone in my clan was infected. I was blissfully ignorant of all this at the time. My brother kept me locked up at home, while he went out to train for the army. Our parents had died a few years beforehand and he had been taking care of me on his own. Our house was also in an isolated area of our village, away from the rest of the clan because my father was paranoid. That's the only reason I survived when men were sent to burn my village to the ground."

I watch as his hand clenches and unclenches before reaching out and grabbing it, rubbing soothing circles with my thumb. He starts and then relaxes, sinking into his seat. I take a moment to get up the courage to ask my next question.

"What happened to your brother?"

He glares at the table, eyes flashing crimson and boring holes into the wood.

"_Itachi_," he says the name as if it's poisonous, "left me there to die. He left that morning, telling me that he had an errand to run, and that I had to stay in the house and not leave unless I absolutely had to. When I heard the screams of my remaining family members, I decided I should leave. I ran into the forest next to my house and made my way as far as I could. I stopped when I felt like I couldn't go any farther. That's when I saw him. Itachi was waiting for me. The last thing he said to me before disappearing was: _"__Foolish little brother, if you wish to kill me, hate me, detest me. And yet survive in an unsightly way. Run, run and cling to life."_**(1) **After that, I swore that one day I would grow strong enough to kill him. Because he was the one…"

"He was the one what?" I ask cautiously, wanting to get as much information as I can, but without hurting him.

"He's the one that created this disease. He started it. He infected his best friend, and then the rest of his family, and left me, his little brother, to die. That's why I will kill him." He hisses.

I flinch at the ferocity in his voice, but can't help but meet his eyes. In them I can see all of the pain he has suffered, and I can feel it mirrored in my own eyes and I almost want to cry.

"Have you… does Kakashi know all of this?"

He shakes his head, swallowing and trying to regain his composure. "No. He only knows that I want to kill Itachi and that I'm willing to stop at nothing to do so."

"Oh. Okay." I say, trying unsuccessfully to hide my smile.

Sasuke looks at me curiously. "What?"

"It's nothing. Just that… Kakashi kept going on and on about how you'd never open up to anyone despite how much he wants you to. I'm just glad that he was wrong." I smile at him fully now.

He seems surprised by this, as if he had been expecting me to run away after he told me. But then he smiles too, just barely, not like before when he laughed, but I know it's there.

**A/N: My fingers are dead now, so I think Imma stop right there. Thank you for reading and reviews are much appreciated. **


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